Banana Republics
History Shorts
At the dawn of the 20th century, as the United States emerged from its own internal struggles and territorial expansions, it began to cast a long shadow over Latin America — a region that became both a playground for American business interests and a stage for a new kind of imperialism. What unfolded over the next century was a complex story of economic exploitation, military intervention, and the creation of fragile, dependent regimes — the infamous Banana Republics. SUPPORT THE SHOW: LEARN MORE: READ THE NEWSLETTER:
info_outline
President's Daughter
History Shorts
President Warren G. Harding, the 29th POTUS, had many corruption scandals that tainted his presidency back in the 1920s. Yet, apart from the textbook-bound-forever Teapod Dome Scandal, there was one that hit closer to home for Mr. Harding. Namely, the case of one of his reported 7 mistresses, a nineteen-year-old who gave birth to his illegitimate daughter. SUPPORT THE SHOW: LEARN MORE: READ THE NEWSLETTER:
info_outline
History of IQ Tests
History Shorts
The Intelligence Quotient, or IQ, arose from a convergence of scientific curiosity, educational reform, and darker impulses of the 20th century. Its history is equal parts ambition, innovation, and controversy—an evolving tale of how society has tried to quantify the unquantifiable. SUPPORT THE SHOW: LEARN MORE: READ THE NEWSLETTER:
info_outline
The House of David
History Shorts
Members of the House of David religious community did not know when Jesus Christ would return to Earth, but they were certain that it would happen in Benton Harbor, Michigan. So, they built a settlement and waited for Christ’s return - all while playing baseball... yep. SUPPORT THE SHOW: LEARN MORE: READ THE NEWSLETTER:
info_outline
Conversations: Steven Gillon
History Shorts
Peter and Steve speak about his career, time with the History Channel, and his newest release, Presidents at War: How World War II Shaped a Generation of Presidents, from Eisenhower to JFK through Reagan and Bush. SUPPORT THE SHOW: LEARN MORE: READ THE NEWSLETTER:
info_outline
Typhoid Mary
History Shorts
There were hundreds, no, thousands, of typhoid carriers in New York City at the turn of the 20th century. Yet, only one of them was labeled a menace to society and banished to an island for life - that is, until Mary Mallon. SUPPORT THE SHOW: LEARN MORE: READ THE NEWSLETTER:
info_outline
Rough Riders
History Shorts
When the Spanish-American War broke out in 1898, a spirited group of volunteers from diverse walks of life banded together to form one of the most legendary fighting forces in American history—the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry, better known as the Rough Riders. Their leader, none other than the future President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt. SUPPORT THE SHOW: LEARN MORE: READ THE NEWSLETTER:
info_outline
Stealing Lincoln's Body
History Shorts
In what seems like a tale straight out of a historical thriller, there was once a real and sinister plan to steal the body of Abraham Lincoln, one of America's most revered presidents. The plot, which unfolded in 1876, eleven years after Lincoln's assassination, was a bizarre scheme involving counterfeiters, a criminal gang, and an undercover Secret Service agent. To this day, it remains one of the strangest episodes in American history. SUPPORT THE SHOW: LEARN MORE: READ THE NEWSLETTER:
info_outline
Duke of Russia's Buffalo Hunt
History Shorts
In January 1872, one of the most extravagant diplomatic and cultural exchanges of the 19th century took place on the vast plains of Nebraska: Grand Duke Alexis Alexandrovich of Russia, son of Tsar Alexander II, embarked on a grand American buffalo hunt. The event was as much about diplomacy as it was about spectacle—a unique blending of Russian aristocracy, American military might, and Native American traditions. SUPPORT THE SHOW: LEARN MORE: READ THE NEWSLETTER:
info_outline
Fall of Saigon
History Shorts
The Fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975 (50 years ago this month) marked a dramatic and chaotic end to the Vietnam War, culminating in the capture of South Vietnam's capital by the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and the hurried evacuation of American personnel and South Vietnamese allies. SUPPORT THE SHOW: LEARN MORE: READ THE NEWSLETTER:
info_outlinePeter and Steve speak about his career, time with the History Channel, and his newest release, Presidents at War: How World War II Shaped a Generation of Presidents, from Eisenhower to JFK through Reagan and Bush.
SUPPORT THE SHOW: https://www.patreon.com/c/HistoryShortsPodcast
LEARN MORE: https://www.historyshortspodcast.com/
READ THE NEWSLETTER: https://historyshorts.substack.com/